This invention relates to a construction toy for building stable geometrical structures of square and cubical shapes utilizing magnetizable bodies and connecting members.
Construction toys for two and three dimensional geometrical structures involving magnetic interconnecting members require close tolerances in the manufacture of these members in order to have a stable model. Typically, a magnetic arm member acts as a connector between two spheres which are magnetizable and the arm has concave surfaces at each end for engagement with a respective sphere. A variety of geometrically shaped structures can be constructed and retain stability provided the surfaces of the interacting faces form a close fit. The need for the use of close tolerances is demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,388, which discloses an educational device for building toy crystaline structures with magnetic spheres and interconnecting magnetic bars. The magnetic bars are formed with a concave surface at each end conforming to the surface of an interconnecting sphere and the concave ends are freely moveable over the surface of the sphere. Very close tolerances are required in the dimensions of the sphere in order to construct stable two or three dimensional geometric configurations. It would be advantageous to minimize the requirement of close tolerances and thereby reduce manufacturing costs, and consequently the cost of the magnetic construction toy, and thus provide a toy having interconnecting members capable of creating magnetic couplings resulting in stable geometrical structures.
There is, therefore, provided according to the present invention, a geometric construction toy for building cubic and square profiles where the need for close tolerances is minimized yet the interconnecting members form a stable structure.
The present invention is directed to a geometric construction toy that consists of a connecting member that has an axis of elongation and is magnetizable at its ends. The ends of the connecting member are magnetically coupled to a magnetizable body having mutually perpendicular vertical, horizontal, and lateral axes that intersect at a common point. The magnetizable body has a peripheral boundary surface which is symetrically disposed and symmetric with respect to each of the 3 mutually intersecting perpendicular planes forming the mutually intersecting axes. A multiplicity of recesses which extend axially into the peripheral boundary surface are so dimensioned and proportioned to receive a magnetizable end of the connecting member and magnetically couples to the magnetizable body to extend axially from the magnetizable body.
In one embodiment of the invention, the magnetizable body is a sphere which consists of an inner spherical magnetizable body surrounded by a spherical, preferably insulative, outer body having a multiplicity of axial extending recesses at least in part contained in the outer spherical body. The recesses are so dimensioned and proportioned to receive the magnetized end of the connecting member so as to permit the connecting member and magnetizable body to couple magnetically. Each recess is ninety degrees (90xc2x0) from an adjacent recess which permits the connecting members to extend axially from the magnetizable body with angles of ninety-degrees between the axes of elongation of the connecting members. By the use of multiple like dimensioned and constructed magnetizable bodies and like dimensioned and constucted connecting members, the builder is enabled to construct stable profiles of squares and cubes utilizing members that do not require close tolerances in manufacture.
In another embodiment of this invention, the magnetizable body is a cube which is composed of an inner magnetizable cube surrounded by an outer body, preferabley an insulative body, having a multiplicity of axially extending aperatures contained in the outer body. The aperatures are so dimensioned and proportioned to receive the magnetized end of the connecting member so as to permit the connecting member and cube to magnetically couple. After coupling, the connecting member extends axially from the cube along an axis that is a mutually perpendicular axis where the set of axes have an intersection which is at the geometrical center of the cube. Each recess is therefore ninety-degrees (90xc2x0) from an adjacent recess which permits the connecting members to extend axially from the cube with the axes of elongation of the connecting members either at ninety-degrees (90xc2x0) or one hundred eighty-degrees (180xc2x0) to a coupled connecting member. The connecting members in the embodiments above described have permanent magnets fixedly carried at their ends.
In yet another embodiment of this invention, the magnetizable body is a sphere surrounded by a cubic outer body, preferably an insulative body, having a multiplicity of axially extending aperatures contained in the outer body. The aperatures are so dimensioned and proportioned to receive the magnetized end of the connecting member so as to permit the connecting member and sphere to magnetically couple. After coupling, the connecting member extends axially from the outer body along an axis that is a mutually perpendicular axis where the set of axes have an intersection which is at the geometrical center of the cube. Each recess is therefore ninety-degrees (90xc2x0) from an adjacent recess which permits the connecting members to extend axially from the outer body with the axes of elongation of the connecting members either at ninety-degrees or one hundred eighty-degrees (180xc2x0) to a coupled connecting member. Preferably, the connecting members in the embodiments above described have permanent magnets fixedly carried at their ends, however, the inner bodies may be permanent magnets and the connecting members magnetizable.